Spiderbait's Kram: Bands now rely on licensing

With the demise of the CD and the rise of online music streaming, bands are increasingly relying on the advertising and marketing industries as a main source of revenue, says Spiderbait’s Kram.

Speaking with Stig Richards of The Sound Alliance at MAD Week, Kram said that licensing brands to use his songs was now integral to having the resources to continue recording.

“Licensing our songs has been a massive thing for us for a long time. It’s now a huge element of what allows you to make records,” he said.

He explained that 10 to 15 years ago, bands would never consider creating songs that could have a second use in advertising, but it’s now a more prominent way thinking as record sales make increasingly less money.

Before Spiderbait begun granting licenses to its music it once turned its nose up at the offer to have one of its songs used in a Coke ad.

"That just doesn't happen anymore – unless it's the National Front or the Liberal Party. But they could use the help."

The man with seven million views on his YouTube video of Black Betty said that the online views don’t really lead to much revenue.

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